Creating Controls

Use

You use predefined controls to form your own user interfaces. The properties of the individual controls determine their appearance and function.

You can create controls with or without a reference to the data model.

To display static objects such as a company logo in an Edit form, create controls without a reference to a data model. You enter the values to be displayed in the properties of the controls in question.
To create or depict information stored in the XML document or one of its properties (such as the title of a news item) create controls with a reference to the data model.

References to the Data Model

All input fields and selection controls on the Edit form must have a reference to an element of the data model so that the information entered can be saved.

To depict the stored information on display and list forms, create label controls, and image controls if necessary, with references to the same elements of the data model.

A control can have references to the following elements of the data model:

Schema elements

The system stores the information in the XML file.
Document properties

The system stores the information in a property of the XML file.

Recommendation
We recommend that each control should reference either a schema element or a document property.

If you create two references for an HTML control, the system ignores the reference to the document property.

Procedure

Creating Controls Without a Reference to the Data Model

To create a control without a reference to the data mode, use Drag&Drop to pull the control onto the function bar of a form.

For example, create a label control and enter the text for it into the Caption control property.

Creating Controls With a Reference to the Data Model

Optional: Select a control (such as a text field) in the function bar.
Optional: Hold down the SHIFT key to select more than one element in the data model.

Use Drag&Drop to pull an element from the data model onto the form.

If you use Drag&Drop with the primary mouse button, the system creates the following objects by default:
- On the Edit form: Input fields with a reference to the data model, and labels before them.
- On Show and List forms: Label controls with a reference to the data model.
  
  Note
  If you want to change this default setting for a form, click the form in question and choose an option from the table at the bottom of the screen after selecting the Drag&Drop property.
If you use Drag&Drop with the secondary mouse button, you can select the objects that you want to create from a context menu.

The system enters elements path into the Schema Reference or Property Reference control property .

Option	The system creates the following objects:
Label	Label control without a reference to the data model. The system uses the name of the element as the caption. This option allows you to create field labels with static text.
Label with Reference	Label control with a reference to the data model element. This option allows you to create output fields for text saved in an XML document in Show or List forms.
Label and Control	Creates the control last clicked in the function bar with a reference to the data model, and the label before it. This option allows you to create input fields with field labels in creation forms.
Control	Creates the control last clicked in the function bar with a reference to the data model.

Creating References to the Data Model

To create a reference for an existing control, use Drag&Drop to pull the element onto the control.

The system enters elements path into the Schema Reference or Property Reference control property .